


Where We Are Meant To Be

by nerdlife4eva



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Dancing, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 23:27:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16274555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdlife4eva/pseuds/nerdlife4eva
Summary: The story of how Phichit and Chris started with a dance in Barcelona and found their way to a love that would change their lives.





	1. Barcelona

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CaptDonavin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptDonavin/gifts).



> This is a combination of stories I have never published and some that were published in pieces on Tumblr. They have been edited (not beta'ed, so I am sorry for any mistakes) to become one timeline which extends over a year.
> 
> This completed story is a gift to the incredible [CaptDonavin](https://captdonavin.tumblr.com) who truly defines the word "supportive." There have been so many times when I have felt blocked or discouraged and Capt has always appeared to give me the push I need to keep creating. Thank you for spending so much time loving on my work and for giving me courage when I couldn't find it on my own. Capt also has an Ao3 which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptDonavin/pseuds/CaptDonavin/works?fandom_id=11444638). I encourage everyone to check it out and send Capt some love!!

The energy in the ballroom was electric, a dizzying combination of relief from the end of competition, the lively spirits of the podium champions, and the increasing drunkenness of those drowning their sorrows. It was a familiar throbbing of emotions and Chris let it absorb into his skin, taking in all the details of the night unfolding in front of him.

Last year, this same banquet had proven to be his greatest mastery of wing-manning to ever exist. The now-engaged Yuuri and Victor were still all heart eyes for each other and given the current level of alcohol in Victor’s system, it wouldn’t be long before Yuuri would be dragging his man out of the hall or reliving the mostly-naked glory of Sochi’s banquet night. Chris remembered the night fondly, even if it had resulted in the biggest fight he had ever had with Masumi.

Well, biggest up until a few hours ago.

Fighting back the lump in his throat with another gulp of champagne, Chris tried to push away the pain of finding himself standing alone at the back of the ballroom. Masumi was there, still his choreographer and a part of Chris’s official team, but he was no longer Chris’s other half and his suitcases had been moved to another hotel room. They would return home on the flight together and, Chris assumed, would part ways from there. If he moved forward with the possibility of retirement, replacing Masumi wouldn’t be needed. If he changed his mind and decided to compete one more season, despite Masumi’s assertions that Chris was no longer performing at a competing level, then he would have to consider his options.

Yuuri’s friend, Minako, had made a few off-handed comments about Chris’s need for choreography that better fit his maturing style and he let his mind wander to what suggestions she could provide. She was enthusiastic and well-known for both her grace and her strength as a dancer along with her career-long rivalry with Yuri Plisetsky’s choreographer. The defiant part of Chris made him want to take her up on the offer to choreograph for him, the fire in his belly burning to destroy Masuimi’s words from earlier that evening. Frowning, he tossed back the rest of his drink and plucked another flute from a passing waiter.

“I seem to remember stories about champagne and these kinds of parties.”

The familiar voice had Chris unwillingly grinning into his glass, biting his bottom lip to fight the flicker of happiness as Phichit’s arm came to rest around his waist. “Look how well it worked out for them.” Nodding at Yuuri who was currently bent backwards over a table with Victor caging him in with rapid kisses, both of them laughing and ignoring the outrage of Plisetsky, Chris threw back the entire contents of his flute and traded it for a new glass.

Smirking, Phichit clinked his glass against the edge of Chris’s new one. “Well, if we can find a pole, I can show you who taught Yuuri all of his moves.” Wiggling his eyebrows, Phichit took a sip of his own drink.

Chris managed to not choke, but only barely. Phichit’s hand squeezed his hip, pulling them closer together and letting Chris examine the pinkness of Phichit’s cheeks from a more intimate distance. He recognized the pain of loss hiding behind Phichit’s unfocused eyes and pressed a kiss to Phichit’s temple, pausing for only a moment to feel the softness of Phichit’s skin under his lips and the tickle of his hair on Chris’s cheek. “I think it would be best if we avoid a repeat performance. I wouldn’t mind a dance though. If you up to it, that is.” Reaching around Phichit’s shoulders, Chris stole his half empty glass and placed it with his empty one on the closest table. “Come on, Phichit, show me those King and Skater dance moves.” Lacing their fingers together, Chris pulled Phichit toward the dance floor, keeping his eyes focused forward to avoid catching Masumi’s potentially disapproving stare.

Twirling Phichit into his arms, Chris chuckled at Phichit’s sweet giggle. He couldn’t ignore the way Phichit’s hand it perfectly in his or the way Phichit accepted his lead without challenge. Masumi only ever danced with him when they were alone and his heart skipped a beat as Phichit easily gave into the steps he set. Perfectly fitted, they moved over the dance floor, chests pressed together and smiles mirroring happiness that they were both faking.

* * *

 

Phichit felt dizzy even though he had stopped drinking hours ago. Originally, he had come to the banquet determined to have a good time and forget about his disappointment. He had missed the podium and despite Celestino’s reassurance that Phichit had years left to get to the top, he couldn’t help wallowing a bit in his own defeat.

If he had learned anything from Yuuri, it was that champagne and crushing disappointment were not a good match. Yet, Phichit had found himself carrying two flutes at once, drinking with an expert level of efficiency gifted to him by a year of college frat parties.

By the time he had found Chris, Phichit was warm from the alcohol buzzing through his system, but not drunk enough to confidently flirt beyond a few words. Although his inability to do more seemed moot when he had finally struck up enough nerve to approach Chris. The idea of flirting faded as he took in the unhappiness in Chris’s eyes and the dull redness circling them.

Rumors had spread quickly about Chris’s incredibly loud confrontation with his choreographer who also happened to be Chris’s significant other. Or ex-significant other. Phichit wasn’t really sure where that subject had fallen, although JJ had confirmed that he saw Masumi moving suitcases into a room that was definitely not Chris’s penthouse suite.

It wasn’t that Phichit _didn’t_ wanted to sleep with Chris. Truthfully, he had harbored a massive crush on the man (rivaled only by Yuuri’s crush on Victor) but Phichit recognized a hurting man when he saw one and what he wanted was to comfort Chris. More than a crush, more than respect from one skater to another, Phichit had always admired Chris for being confident and unabashedly himself. Sadness hung around Chris like a shroud and Phichit wanted to break through the bleakness to find the sparkle in Chris’s eyes once again.

By their third dance, Phichit had sobered from his alcohol-induced tipsiness and settled into a dizziness brought on by the feeling of being in Chris’s arms. The hold at the small of Phichit’s back and Chris’s carefully controlled grasp of his hand left Phichit feeling breathless with every turn. They stayed huddled in their own bubble, ignoring the hubbub of sponsors, skaters, and coaches which filled the vast space around them. Phichit existed in a world where Chris’s gaze never left him and the feeling made him feel drunk with giddiness.

The music faded as the final announcements of the night were made. Leaning on Chris’s shoulder, Phichit let himself be held, sinking into the feeling of the solid chest steady against his back. Fingers ghosted over Phichit’s hip making him hum with satisfaction and nuzzle further into Chris’s embrace.

Turning his head, Phichit looked up at Chris through his dark eyelashes. “I… not in… like a sexual way… but… do you want to come to my room? I feel like…” biting his lip, Phichit eyed Chris’s soft smile. “I like cuddling…” He couldn’t form any other words especially when Chris curled Phichit into his chest, holding Phichit tightly.

“I’d like that,” Chris whispered, pressing a kiss to Phichit’s forehead and loosening his hold to allow Phichit to step back.

Slipping his fingers into Chris’s waiting hand, Phichit tugged him forward to lead the way to his room.

* * *

 

The insistent beeping of his phone’s alarm brought Chris groggily back into the room that was definitely not his. Shifting slowly so as not to disturb the beautiful man draped over his chest, Chris swiftly silenced his alarm and sighed back into the pillows.

After the banquet, they had made their way back to Phichit’s room, hands swinging between them and conversation flowing easily. Chris had felt the tension leave him as soon as Phichit found him in the ballroom and that relief had continued throughout the evening, leaving Chris feeling more at ease than he had a right to be. The prospect of curling up in a bed with the sweetest of his competitors had left a lingering excitement thrumming under Chris’s skin. He didn’t expect more than that to happen and was pleasantly surprised to find peace in the reality of his expectations.

They had talked, cuddled together in only their boxers and socks until the sun had started peeking over the buildings of Barcelona. Chris had fallen asleep to the sound of Phichit’s soft snoring, arms cradling Phichit who lay with his face smushed on Chris’s chest. He had only gotten a few hours of sleep, but Chris could feel the satisfaction of those hours deep within his bones.

Unfortunately, he had an earlier flight to catch than Phichit. Feeling disappointed, Chris eased out from under Phichit’s body and silently dressed in his suit from the night before. He pocketed his tie and left his shirt unbuttoned, uncaring as to who he might run into in the hallway. They were both adults and they both knew what had and hadn’t happened, and Chris was confident that Phichit would feel the same way. Placing one last kiss to Phichit’s head, Chris slipped into the hallway, carefully closing the door behind him.

The sound of a throat clearing made Chris look over his shoulder. Standing in nothing but a pair of sweats, holding an ice bucket, was none other than Phichit’s best friend. Yuuri waved in Chris’s direction and then held his hand up to stop Chris from the explanation that was about to fall from his tongue.

“Not my business,” Yuuri said, letting his hand drop. “He is my best friend. You are also my friend. And I am happy as long as you are both happy. Have a safe flight, Chris.” Disappearing into his room, Yuuri left Chris to stand speechlessly in the hallway.

Letting his eyes drift to Phichit’s closed door, Chris wished that he could walk back into the room and take a chance at properly kissing Phichit. He didn’t think he had imagined the chemistry between them and he knew that he hadn’t experienced such easy comfort with anyone else in his life. Resting an open palm on the door, Chris whispered a last goodbye and turned for the elevator.

* * *

 

Waking up alone, Phichit bit back his disappointment as he rolled onto the pillow that still smelled like Chris. He had promised himself he wouldn’t pursue Chris so soon after Chris’s break up with Masumi, but he also could clearly count the moments from last night when he could have tipped the scale to something more. Dancing with Chris had been like magic, talking with him had felt like talking with the other half of his brain, and Phichit’s heart tangled with the idea of finding it’s place in someone else’s soul. There was something there between them, Phichit could feel the truth of it stinging in his chest, but he hadn’t been brave enough to chase it. Feeling the hint of tears prickling his eyes, Phichit lifted his head in response to the dinging of his phone. Slapping out, he grabbed it and unlocked the screen. The message blinking at him caused his smile to break across his face.

_Thank you for being exactly who I needed last night. I will never forget it. See you in Hasetsu. <3 <3_

Locking his phone, Phichit rolled onto his back and grinned at his ceiling. The group trip to Hasetsu was only two months away and Phichit couldn’t wait to see Chris again. Letting hope seep back in, Phichit kicked off the covers to go in pursuit of pants and hopefully dragging his best friend away for some much needed rehashing of his night.

In two months, Phichit would see Chris again and he was determined to be ready when that day came.


	2. Hasetsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking place in Hasetsu during the weekend of Victor's ice show and the famous Chikoho (sp?) incident.

Minami had been the one to discover the stack of index cards, happily chasing down Mama Katsuki in his quest to obtain a roll of scotch tape. Together with Leo and Guang-Hong, they had scribbled the names of every skater currently partying in the Katsuki family onsen and then giggled through slapping a name onto each intoxicated forehead.

The rules were simple, pair off and try to guess the skater taped to each head. The teams who guessed their cards the fastest won and would get to watch all the losing teams streak across the Hasetsu beach. No one wanted to lose, but more than anything, no one wanted Phichit to win. Which is why Victor relinquished his hold on Yuuri and pushed him to pair off with his best friend while Victor teamed up with Chris. Drunk Yuuri was a silly Yuuri and a silly Yuuri couldn’t give clues to save his life.

In theory, it should have been a quick game. Everyone had grown to know each other fairly well and there were certainly clues that would be a dead giveaway, especially for skaters like Yuuri and his infamous pole dance, and Yuri and his need to kick everyone. Unfortunately, everyone above drinking age was becoming increasingly more influenced and the clues were becoming more ridiculous with each passing moment.

“Am I pretty?” Yuuri slurred, bumping his shoulder against Phichit’s and giggling when Phichit bumped him back. Tapping a finger against Phichit’s head, Yuuri grinned, “cause you areeee pretttttyyy…” the words were an odd mix of singing and drunken slur, causing both of them to collapse into giggles. Yuuri forget his question and Phichit forgot his was supposed to give a response. “Who put this on my head anyway?” Yuuri pondered, flinging an arm over Phichit’s chest to poke his best friend’s cheek. “Oh you have one, too… how strangely strange.” More giggles took over the pair as they commenced poking each other in the forehead.

Next them to sat Yuri and Otabek, both concentrating hard on their cards but firing off even worse clues than Phichit and Yuuri, who had completely forgotten they were supposed to be playing a game at all. “His face is weird,” Yuri said, scowling when Otabek threw his hands in the air. “It is, you’ll know what I mean when you see your card!!” Indignantly, Yuri kicked out at Otabek’s pillow.

Amidst the chaos in the room, Victor had settled himself knee-to-knee with Chris. Placing down his bottle of liquor, Victor’s competitive spirit flared, driving his desire to win the game. Zeroing in on Chris, Victor squinted his eyes at the white card on his best friend’s head. The English words were definitely blurry, and Victor leaned forward trying to get a better look at the name. Their knees pressed together in their cross-legged positions, making both of them groan displeasure from the unexpected pain.

“Focus!” Chris commanded, somehow more sober than Victor despite how much sake he had consumed. “You ready? We need to win!” Invoking Victor’s competitive drive, Chris grabbed his friend’s face and threw out his first cue. “You are the living embodiment of a rainbow!”

“Oh! My Yuuri!” Victor shouted, throwing an arm to point at Yuuri and frowning when he noticed the lump that was currently Yuuri’s and Phichit’s giggling bodies. Growling under his breath as Yuuri threw an arm over Phichit’s torso, Victor made to crawl across the room.

Huffing out his frustration, Chris grabbed Victor’s shoulders, pulling him back to their two man huddle and shaking him. “No, not Yuuri. Let me try another one.” Eyes focusing on the card, Chris scrunched his face and finally said, “You like small furry creatures.”

“MY YUURI!” Victor called happily, bouncing up and down and reaching for his card.

Chris smacked his hand making Victor pout. “No! Victor! Listen, your card is not Yuuri. Yuuri is not yours.” As soon as the last sentence was out of his mouth, Chris knew he had made a mistake. Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands and waited for the fallout.

“WHAT?!?!” Victor yelled, scrambling to his knees and turning toward Yuuri. “YUURI! Look at me!” From the floor Yuuri lifted his head and blew Victor a kiss. “Are you mine?”

“Always!” Yuuri called, shoving Phichit for apparently no reason as Phichit continued to giggle on the floor. “What’s my card say, Vitya?”

“NO CHEATING!!” screamed almost every other voice in the room, making Yuuri stick out his tongue.

Before Victor could think to answer, Chris was hauling him back around so they were face-to-face. “Ok, if you won’t listen to my clues. Can you give me one?” Seeing Victor’s confused face, Chris shook his head in frustration. Across the room he could hear Guang Hong and Leo rapidly firing off hints and he knew they were close to winning. There were threats about running naked at the beach for the losing teams, and while he wasn’t opposed to nudity, he would have much preferred to be the one taking the pictures. Shaking Victor again, Chris poked himself in the forehead. “Card, Victor, give me a clue about who is on my card.”

With only one eye open and an eyebrow comically raised, Victor crawled nearly into Chris’s lap to examine his card. “Ohhh…. I like your card…” Victor purred, slinging his arms over Chris’s shoulders. Planting a kiss to Chris’s card, Victor giggled, “I think I’m in love with you…” Fluttering his eyelashes, Victor once again kissed the card on Chris’s forehead.

“And I’m terrified,” Chris remarked, reaching up to grab the card from his head and flicking it onto the floor. “I’m Katsuki, right?”

“Awww my Yuuri,” Victor purred again, still cradled in Chris’s lap. “So then who is on my card? Must be me, since me and Yuuri are the only pair that makes sense!!” Resting his head on Chris’s shoulder, Victor sighed happily. “We won, Chris!”

“Your name is not on your forehead, Victor,” Chris let Victor continue to sit on his lap, amused by the way Yuuri’s eyes were narrowing in their direction. Feeling cheeky, Chris poked Victor’s card. “Maybe someone else is also a good match for Yuuri.” He heard Victor’s growl again and laughed.

“If my card says Chris, you are getting the beating of a lifetime,” Victor nudged Chris’s chin with a single finger as he glared at Chris’s smug smile.

“Promise?” Chris teased, flipping Victor’s bangs backwards to expose his vast forehead. Yuuri had begun inching closer to them, and Chris was ready to end their little game before Yuuri decided to triple axel him into next week. “Who is Yuuri’s best friend?” Chris asked, warily eying Yuuri as he crept across the room.

“Me!” Victor yelled, throwing his hands up triumphantly and reaching for his card again. Before Chris could argue, Leo and Guang Hong began to shout about their success. Admitting defeat, Chris yanked the card from Victor’s forehead and showed it to him. “PHICHIT?!” Snatching the card, Victor threw it across the room. When Yuuri wrapped his arms around Victor’s waist, Chris happily unfolded his legs to let Victor be dragged away.

“I’m going to run naked on a beach!” Phichit squealed, taking Victor’s place on Chris’s lap. “Wanna come?”

Snorting with the double-meaning in Phichit’s words, Chris happily accepted his fate of streaking with the living rainbow who was Phichit Chulanont.

* * *

 

“They… could’ve… warned us… th-th-that it was cold!” Phichit’s teeth chattered as he shook, still standing waist deep in the water and arms wrapped tightly around himself. “I am stranded!” He called dramatically, a shiver causing his body to create ripples around him.

Wading the few steps needed to bring him to Phichit’s side, Chris raised his arms. “May I?” he asked, waiting until Phichit nodded to guide Phichit into his arms. Rubbing the bare skin of Phichit’s back, Chris was thankful that the cold water had sapped any ability he would have had to express the physical signs of sexual excitement.

“My dick has receded into my body. RIP Little Phichit, we had a good run.” Dropping his heavy head on Chris’s shoulder, Phichit felt Chris’s laughter vibrate through his chest. He was definitely regretting his attempts to keep up with Georgi’s and Victor’s drinking, his body feeling simultaneously ready to die from hypothermia and ready to heave the entirety of the contents of his stomach. Groaning, Phichit leaned further into Chris, taking all the comfort he could find from the warmth of Chris’s skin. “Naked. We are so very naked.”

Chris couldn’t help the laughter that was awkwardly shaking his body. Phichit was beautifully highlighted by the light of the moon and he looked adorably distraught with his soaked hair and goosebumped skin. “Want me to carry you?” Chris offered, tracing patterns over Phichit’s back with his open palms. He carefully avoided the dip of Phichit’s lower back, no matter how much his fingers desired even the briefest of sweeps over the swell of Phichit’s incredible ass. Feeling Phichit nod against his collarbone, Chris bent down and captured Phichit under his knees, swinging his shivering body into Chris’s secure hold. He felt Phichit’s happy sigh breeze over his chest, and Chris tried not to focus on the goosebumps now rising on his own skin.

“Warm,” Phichit mumbled, reaching up to loop his arms around Chris’s neck. “I wanna cuddle,” Phichit whispered into Chris’s neck, the words etching themselves onto Chris’s brain with the feeling of Phichit’s lips ghosting over his Adam’s apple.

“Okay,” Chris answered, unable to deny Phichit anything and unwilling to deny himself one more night of sharing space with Phichit.

They only had one more day in Hasetsu and it would be filled with the chaos of Victor’s ice show. Then it would be goodbye again, separated by time and space without the ability to sneak off for walks around Yuuri’s sleepy town or enjoying playful teasing over joint meals. He had gotten to have Phichit’s warmth in his life for three days and Chris wasn’t sure how he could survive without it when his plane took off the next day.

Pushing the thought away, Chris helped Phichit back into his clothes, setting him on the sand and slipping back into his own sweatpants. When Phichit reached for him, Chris happily lifted him back into his arms and headed for one more night of restful slumber with his favorite person by his side.

* * *

 

The ice show was a success despite the drama of Victor’s naked appearance at the top of Hasetsu castle. Fans were happy, autographs and pictures took hours and all too soon Chris found himself outside of Yuuri’s family home with a suitcase dangling from his hand and a car waiting for him to slide into its backseat.

Other than their hours of sleep, Chris had barely been able to spend time with Phichit throughout their chaos of a day. He had contemplated changing his flight, but the series of emails he had received from his coach had kept him from detouring from his plans. It seemed Masumi wanted to talk and Chris figured getting back and dealing with that conversation as soon as possible was the only way to keep himself sane. Taking a last look over his shoulder, Chris shoved his suitcase into the trunk and shut it with a small thud.

“Chris!” Phichit sprinted from the front door, still feeling queasy from his hangover and battling through it to perform for Victor’s show. He had fallen asleep after Yuuri had dragged him into the onsen and had woken in a panic when he realized what time it was. Tripping over his own feet, he found himself falling into Chris’s arms. “Hey, sorry, I…” Ducking his head onto Chris’s shoulder, Phichit pulled him into a hug. “I didn’t want you to leave without saying goodbye. I’m sorry I fell asleep. Today was insane.” He could feel his heart sinking as the driver inquired if Chris was ready to go. They had so many smalls moments together over the past few days and Phichit wasn’t ready for it to be over. Lifting his face to peer at Chris, Phichit tried to force himself to smile.

Kissing Phichit’s forehead was an irresistible urge and Chris let his lips linger there while his hands cupped Phichit’s sleep-warm cheeks. “I will miss you, Phichit, but I need to take care of some things. I hope to see you soon.” He wouldn’t promise Phichit anything, knowing that his heart was still mending from the fallout with Masumi. His immediate reaction to Masumi’s requests to talk told Chris he wasn’t ready to try giving his heart away again and he gently pulled himself out of Phichit’s grasp. “Let me know when you get home safe. Thank you for being you.” With one more kiss on Phichit’s cheek, Chris sank into the backseat of the cab and closed the door.

Standing on the curb, Phichit waved until he could no longer see the car carrying Chris away from him.


	3. Canada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> RIP Air Mattress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking place during JJ and Isabella's wedding weekend!

Canada in the early summer was far prettier than Chris had expected. The sun was bright, but not unpleasantly assaulting to the eyes or skin. The air had a hint of chill to it, the promise of cooler nights to balance the warmest parts of the day. Around the landing strip there were small hills and vast forests of tall trees. Leaning back against the stiff cushion of his airline seat, Chris smiled at the opportunity to take a real look at his surroundings. 

It had been Phichit’s unfailing optimistic coercion that had them all hopping on flights from their various home countries. The invitations to the Canadian wedding had appeared in their mailboxes several months prior and group texts had lit up with confusion. None of them were particularly close to JJ, but Phichit had quickly pointed out that none of them had made any efforts either. It was a chance to forge a friendship, Phichit’s text had happily chirped. If nothing else, it would be a chance to spend the weekend in the same place, reasoned the next text.

Victor and Yuuri had been the first to cave. Chris had surmised from Victor’s texts that Yuuri wanted to spend the time with Phichit and where Yuuri went, Victor went. The Crispinos had been the next to fall victim to Phichit’s enthusiasm, with Mila and Emil confirming soon after. Chris had laughed at Victor’s text explaining the thirty seconds it took for Yuri to confirm his attendance, after finding out that Otabek was serving as a groomsmen for the festivities.

After a week of holding out, Chris had finally given up his resistance to traveling across the world for the nuptials of a skater he barely knew. There was still a part of him that was puzzled as to how JJ had obtained Chris’s address, but Chris had nonetheless sent his reply and booked his plane ticket.

His solo plane ticket.

Retrieving his bag from the overhead bin, Chris decided that pausing too long on why he was flying solo was not the best course of action. He was going to spend three days surrounded by his closest skating friends and there was no reason to start the time off with thoughts of anger and regret. Besides, Phichit was going to be there every step of the way and Chris could feel the thrill of possibility skating around in his chest.

Walking from the plane, Chris let his legs stretch as he headed for baggage claim and what promised to be one hell of a weekend.

* * *

 

Phichit was convinced, especially while standing in the middle of the spacious kitchen, that renting a house with all of the skaters was the best idea he ever had. Even when JJ had decided to crash the party, dragging a silent Otabek in his boisterous wake, Phichit couldn’t shake the excitement buzzing in his brain.

It was rare that everyone had time to spare and committed to a single location without the demands of competition. He was positive that when Victor and Yuuri got married, the turnout would be much higher, but he was happy with the small group he was able to assemble.

The house was bigger than he expected, and Phichit had taken his time exploring each room when he had arrived prior to anyone else. His bags remained stacked in the hallway though, wanting to give the others first choice of rooms. Otabek had taken a room with bunk beds, shoving JJ from the room and declaring the top bunk property of Plisetsky. The good-natured scuffle between the old rink mates had Phichit leaning on a wall with laughter. Otabek seemed more relaxed and at peace than Phichit could remember him being, and he couldn’t help wondering if Yuri’s promised presence was a catalyst for the change. 

He was standing in the kitchen with JJ when the commotion that was the infamous Victuuri stumbled into the house, a blob of arms and legs tangled together and decorated with suitcases. Their hellos were brief, being thrown over shoulders as they made a beeline for the master bedroom which Phichit had happily directed them towards. JJ jokingly set the stopwatch on his phone, making an offer for a friendly bet about how long the couple would be gone from sight.

“Hopefully forever,” Yuri snapped, stepping through the threshold of the rental house looking as if he had survived a hurricane.

Phichit laughed behind his hand, realizing that Yuri had probably shared a flight with Victor and Yuuri which was close enough to a natural disaster. Pointing a silent finger toward the room containing Otabek, Phichit attempted to stifle his laughter as Yuri stomped past them, muttering idle threats under his breath.

“This is a nice place,” JJ said, examining the surroundings. “You might be short on beds though. Leo and Guang Hong sent their RSVPs a little late and I told them they could crash here since the hotel was completely booked.” He was busy looking out at the rectangular swimming pool and missed Phichit gawking from his place at the kitchen island.

There were definitely not enough beds for two more bodies and Phichit opened his email to review the details of the rental property. For a brief, very hopeful moment, he thought he recalled a promise of a pull-out couch, but he discovered that his imagination had apparently been overactive again. A small note at the very bottom of the accommodations list stated that somewhere in one of the upstairs closets there was an available air mattress. Sighing at his own relegation to the air-filled excuse for a bed, Phichit went to search the closets.

Climbing the stairs to the second floor, he kicked himself for not being prepared for the sounds that would inevitably be escaping the master bedroom. Freezing, Phichit flushed bright red as the rapid succession chorus of _Victors_ and _Yuuris_ filled the entirety of the hallway.

“How long did it take them to get there?”

The voice behind Phichit had him falling to the ground in startled embarrassment. A deep baritone laugh sounded above him as a strong hand yanked Phichit back to his feet. Blushing, Phichit smiled at Chris. “I wasn’t listening,” Phichit went wide-eyed as the sounds grew even more x-rated, “I swear! I was looking for the air mattress!”

Chris couldn’t help his smirk as he watched Phichit’s innocent reactions to the not-so-innocent activities of their favorite power couple. The blush of pink over Phichit’s cheeks was an adorable contrast to the pornographic soundtrack echoing into the hallway. “We should barricade them in,” Chris suggested, dropping his bags to the ground and peeking into the nearest room. Spying a desk that looked light, Chris ducked inside, plucking the Ikea-esque furniture from its place and hauling it in front of the door to Yuuri and Victor’s room. He stepped back to watch Phichit carry out a small bedside table and place it on top of the desk. Winking, Chris returned to the other room, emerging again with a desk chair which he braced against the desk. His laughter almost gave them away when Phichit returned, carrying an adult-sized teddy bear, which he triumphantly plunked down in the chair.

“How long do you think it will take them to realize they can’t get out?” Phichit stood next to Chris’s shoulder, eying their structure as the hallway finally fell silent.

“Depends on the last time they ate,” Chris joked, nudging Phichit with his elbow and wiggling his eyebrows. “Now, fill me in on why someone has to endure the plastic bag of death sleep?”

Phichit burst out laughing. “What a description,” venturing down the hallway, Phichit tried to calm his nerves as he began to search through the closets. Even with all the time Phichit had spent cuddling with Chris over the last few months, Chris’s natural sex appeal was still a little overwhelming, both on and off the ice.

It was different watching Yuuri perform his Eros routine. The first time Phichit had witnessed the raw sexuality of Yuuri’s program, it had been like watching a butterfly burst forth from a cocoon. Phichit had always known that Yuuri was capable of completely losing himself on the ice, but watching Eros come to life had been the first time Phichit had seen it happen. When Yuuri stepped out of his on-ice persona, he became the same nerd Phichit had always known and the change was expected and welcome.

With Chris though, whether it was intentional or not, the sexiness remained like shining armor. The deep intonation of Chris’s voice, the way his hips naturally swayed, and the overall smoothness which seemed embedded in everything the man did, left Phichit a little dumbfounded. No matter how much time they had spent texting and talking during the time since they left Hasetsu, Phichit hadn’t been fully prepared for the attraction that inevitably swelled up to knock him off his feet again. The sound of Chris saying Phichit’s name made him blush, realizing he had never answered Chris’s question.

“Um… well JJ told Leo and Guang Hong that they could stay here… and you know they are going to want to room together so I figured… I will take the air mattress…” Yanking open the closest closet, Phichit spotted the bag on the floor and bent down to pick it up. He managed not to squeak when a hand grazed his lower back.

“That displaces two of us, right?” Chris let his hand drop, trying to keep his eyes from ogling Phichit’s butt. His body distinctly recalled what it was like to have that butt pressed against him while snuggled together in sleep and he found himself craving the feeling. “Does that thing have room for me too? I can’t pass up the chance for more Phichit snuggles… I mean… if you want to.” It wasn’t often that Chris felt uncertain in his flirtations but Phichit’s eyes had gone wide as the pink deepened to red over his cheeks.

“I definitely want to,” Phichit confirmed, his brain happily cheering inside of his head. He knew that Chris had finally come to terms with his separation from Masumi and Phichit felt a zing of hope sizzle through him. Even in Hasetsu, Phichit had believed it was too soon to pursue Chris in any manner, but he wasn’t ruling the possibility out for their short two night stay in Canada. Especially if Chris was offering to share a bed with him again.

“Alright then, let’s get this bag of bed air blown up then!” Chris winked when Phichit giggled, letting Phichit lead the way back downstairs to find a place to set up their makeshift bed.

* * *

 

Speeches, speeches, and more speeches dragged on through the first hour of the rehearsal dinner. Phichit had consumed more dinner rolls than was probably polite and grinned when Chris passed him the tiny bag of mini chocolate from Chris’s own plate. Food was finally served after a grueling ninety seven minutes of listening to every member of JJ’s family speak over the to-be marriage and Phichit had started to gain a new appreciation for JJ in spite of his painfully grumbling tummy.

Glancing at the steak being set down in front of him, Phichit nudged Chris’s hand to peek at his dish. The fish draped over Chris’s mashed potatoes looked mouth-watering and Phichit had the sense to blush when Chris chuckled at him. “Want to split?” Chris offered, holding his knife and fork over his fish and chuckling again when Phichit nodded emphatically. Humming when Phichit graced his cheek with a kiss, Chris happily pushed his food around on his plate to make room for half of Phichit’s steak.

“You two are almost as gross as them,” Yuri opined, poking his fork in Victor and Yuuri’s direction. His eyes darted to the table where Otabek sat, blushing hard when Otabek winked across the room at him.

“Uh huh, and you two are cuter than newborn kittens learning how to walk,” Phichit responded, ducking when Yuri threw a carrot at his head. Everyone knew Yuri and Otabek were walking the line between best friends and something more, even if the two skaters in question seemed to be innocently unaware of their budding relationship.

“There is an hour left for this shindig at most,” Leo noted, shoving a generous bite of potatoes in his mouth and lifting his arm to allow Guang Hong to steal a bite of his vegetable medley. “What are we going to do with the rest of the night?”

“Dancing!” JJ declared, slapping Yuri on the back and laughing loudly when Yuri growled at him. “We have tables reserved at a place downtown and cars arranged to get everyone there. Skaters only because Bella is determined to get a proper amount of sleep so she isn’t puffy tomorrow or… something.” JJ shrugged and Chris didn’t miss the fond smile the groom aimed in the direction of his blushing bride-to-be.

He remembered when he thought he was headed down the path of marriage and a lifelong commitment, quickly shoving the thought away and instead knocking his shoulder into Phichit’s. “How about it, bed buddy? Want to dance with me?” The purr in his voice was unconscious, but Chris noted the impish change in Phichit’s smile.

“If you can keep up,” Phichit teased, poking Chris’s cheek and stabbing another bite of fish from Chris’s plate. Across the table he heard JJ attempt to whisper to Yuri to inquire how long Phichit and Chris had been a thing, and Phichit angled his head trying to hear Yuri’s response. He couldn’t help his twitching smile when Yuri shrugged a shoulder and said, “I don’t know, like a while. They’ll probably get married before Katsudon and Victor do.” Peeking up to see if Chris had heard Yuri’s comments, Phichit felt his cheeks heat when he discovered Chris already smiling at him.

Looking forward to another chance to dance with Phichit, Chris brushed a quick kiss to Phichit’s temple and continued to eat the rest of his dinner. Yuri’s words played like a carousel in Chris’s mind, making him wonder if this was the weekend where luck would finally be on his side. Shoving the last bite of vegetables in his mouth, Chris told himself to calm down and live in the moment.

* * *

 

Everyone had jumped into the pool as soon as they had stumbled back into the rental house, most of them fully clothed with the exception of Victor and Yuuri. Chris was convinced that Yuuri must spend a fortune on pants considering how often he lost them in public places and he laughed along with the rest of the group when the couple finally gave up trying to make out in the pool and headed for their own bed.

From there everyone had trickled out until Chris was left alone with Phichit, Otabek and Yuri. Through not-so-subtle hand gestures and some very awkward nodding, Chris got the hint that they should leave Otabek and Yuri to themselves. Hauling himself out of the pool, Chris toweled off, snagging clothes from his suitcase and heading for the bathroom to change into something soft and dry.

Alone in the study which would function as their shared bedroom for two nights, Phichit could feel his nerves mixing dangerously with the alcohol in his system. He had told himself that he wouldn’t drink that much, knowing that Chris would never consider any sort of intimate advancement if Phichit wasn’t one hundred percent sober, but as usual Yuuri was a terrible influence. Several shots later of alcohol Phichit couldn’t pronounce, he was still feeling the world reel lightly around him. Shuffling out to the small deck off the door of the office, Phichit draped his wet clothes over the railing and took a moment just to breathe.

The room was empty when Chris returned to it and he stared down at the inflatable prison which he was supposed to sleep on. Poking it with his toe, Chris summarized that the only thing comfortable about this bed would be the person he was sharing it with. Carefully rolling onto one of the pillows, Chris turned on his side to wait for Phichit to return.

Reappearing from outside, Phichit assessed Chris’s gorgeously bare back and slightly wet hair. Chris had obviously left Phichit room to lay down and he smiled at the thoughtfulness while a much more devious idea flitted into his mind. Taking off at a run, Phichit bounced onto the air mattress, bursting out laughing when Chris flew into the air with a startled shout.

Clutching his sides, Phichit rolled around on the center of the mattress, laughter wheezing out of him. “I didn’t thank that would work so well,” he cackled, bringing his knees up to make himself a ball. He caught sight of Chris’s predatory gaze a second too late, unable to avoid Chris’s pounce and simultaneous tickling fingers.

Phichit wiggled underneath Chris as he attempted to hold him down and tickle his sides at the same time. Laughter crashed out of Chris, unadulterated and free in a way that he hadn’t felt in years. Only letting up when Phichit threatened to pee, Chris flopped on the bed and smiled when Phichit crawled over him. Catching Phichit’s hands, Chris braced them over his sternum. “Just in case,” he teased, laughing again when Phichit stuck his tongue out at him. He pulled Phichit’s hands over his head without thinking, breath stuttering when Phichit’s face shifted closer to his own.

In this position, Chris only had to move a fraction of space to close the distance between them. For a moment he considered it, but the smell of alcohol danced across his nose and he immediately recalled how much Phichit had to drink throughout their night. Unwilling to be the person who took advantage of a situation, Chris released Phichit’s hands in favor of turning Phichit around and curling around Phichit’s back. Purposely ignoring Phichit’s resistant whine, Chris placed a kiss to the nape of Phichit’s neck. “Sleep now, tomorrow is another busy day.” Feeling his own eyelids becoming heavy, Chris tightened his grip on Phichit’s body and let sleep overtake him.

Disappointed that he hadn’t been brave enough to kiss Chris when he had the chance, Phichit pouted in the darkness, only succumbing to sleep when its determination to take him outweighed his own frustration.

* * *

 

The vows had been beautiful, the food had been great and the band had spent the entire night putting on a performance that made Phichit question his preference for DJs. Isabella had looked gorgeous walking down the aisle, and Phichit hadn’t managed to hold back his tears when JJ began to cry. Chris had let Phichit bury his face into Chris’s shoulder and Phichit had remained sandwiched there until they were asked to sit down for the remainder of the ceremony.

Most of the guests were indulging in the free-flowing alcohol but Phichit resigned himself to two glasses of wine with dinner and one shot when the groom demanded all of the skaters do one together. It was his last night with Chris and he had no idea when they would see each other again, leaving Phichit determined to make some sort of move before they parted ways for their own countries in the morning.

The thought of leaving Chris’s side made Phichit feel clingy and he let himself enjoy Chris’s willingness to let him stay close. They only danced with other people when JJ initiated group dances, choosing to spend their hours on the dance floor working out their unadmitted sexual frustration with grinding hips and wandering hands.

Only once had Chris’s mind slipped back to Masumi throughout the night and the moment was brief. The line of groomsmen stood at JJ’s side and Chris could easily recall the heated discussion he had experienced with his ex-boyfriend over the idea of too many groomsmen. They hadn’t even been engaged, but every time they ventured into theoretical wedding plans, it resulted with both of them snapping their final words and letting the subject awkwardly drop unresolved.

Masumi hadn’t been a match for Chris, not in the way he really wanted. Their romance had been born from lust and from years of working in close proximity to each other. Chris would never deny that he had loved Masumi, but he knew beyond even a shadow of doubt that they weren’t meant to be.

A picture on Masumi’s Instagram account with his arm slung over the shoulders of another choreographer and a hickey on proud display had confirmed Chris’s longtime suspicions that something more existed between Masumi and his best friend. Weirdly enough, Chris could only feel a faint sadness at seeing Masumi happy with someone else, all of his negative emotions focused mostly on Masumi’s utter lack of confidence in Chris’s ability to skate another year.

Shaking his head to pull his mind back to the present, Chris smiled as he rested his cheek against the top of Phichit’s head. Although it had appeared as if Chris was providing Phichit emotional support during the wedding ceremony, it was really Phichit who was unknowingly doing the comforting. For the remainder of the night, Phichit hadn’t left his side and Chris couldn’t pinpoint when he had ever been happier to share continued space with another person. Brushing his cheek over Phichit’s head, Chris hugged him tighter as Phichit sighed into the contact, both of them spinning slowly to the tune of the last dance.

Lights sprung on around them, blinding them after the ambient lighting used to decorate the room. Blinking, Chris tried to adjust, placing a hand over Phichit’s eyes to help him do the same. Waiters and waitresses bustled around handing out sparklers and pushing them all to line up outside.

Taking his place next to Chris, Phichit swayed excitedly as his sparkler was lit. Raising it high in the sky, his heart skipped a beat looking at the sparkle reflecting in Chris’s eyes. Reaching his free hand down, Phichit linked their fingers together and squeezed, waiting for the bride and groom to make their final exit under a cascading tunnel of light.

* * *

 

“Well…” Chris stood in the middle of the study, hands on his hips and eyes trained toward the flattened shape that used to be their bed. “That’s flat,” he stated bluntly, flinching when Phichit smacked his arm.

“Now what?” Phichit exclaimed, throwing his jacket onto the desk chair. They were out of options for beds and the only place left to sleep would provide them with a distinct lack of privacy. Yanking at his tie, Phichit threw that onto the chair too, his pout settling deeply over his lips.

“If you lay on top of me, we can fit on the couch out there.” Hanging his own jacket on its hanger, Chris kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt. “We’ll have to deal with everyone’s noise in the morning, but we are going to be significantly less hungover than the rest of them anyway.” It hadn’t taken careful observation to count the amount of alcohol either of them consumed and Chris couldn’t help but wonder if they were both hoping for the same thing. A plan now foiled by their lack of a private location to sleep.

“I guess as long as we can still cuddle, I can live with it,” Phichit teased, tossing his shirt over the same desk chair and pulling off his pants and belt in one motion. He had hoped to sleep shirtless again with Chris, craving the feeling of Chris’s skin against his own, but realized that was an impractical possibility with their new public sleeping location. Grumbling under his breath, Phichit yanked a t-shirt over his head and tugged on his pajama bottoms.

Changing slowly into his own sleep clothes, Chris regretted seeing Phichit pull on so many layers. Following his lead though, Chris slipped on his own pajamas, dipping down to snag their pillows off the ground. “Shall we sleep?” he asked, grinning when Phichit’s giggle filled the space around them.

“We shall,” Phichit responded, letting Chris take his hand and lead him to the living room.

* * *

 

Even though they had taken up space in the middle of the living room, they had found a surprising level of intimacy underneath the pile of blankets Phichit had pulled from every closet in the house. Tangled in each other’s arms, they lost themselves to deeper topics, both of them relishing in being able to talk while holding each other.

Somewhere around the earliest signs of daybreak, Chris had told Phichit he planned to return to skating for one more year. It was possible that Chris was still harboring doubts, but once he revealed his plans to Phichit, all of them were wiped clean from his mind. Phichit had let out an excited squeal, hugging Chris close and then playfully challenging him to a race to the top of the podium. There wasn’t a second of wavering in Phichit’s support for him and Chris felt his affection for Phichit burst into bright colors inside of his heart.

Snuggled under blankets and draped over Chris’s lap, Phichit remembered his days in Detroit with Yuuri when his quiet roommate had turned out to be the best source of late night chatter who Phichit had ever known. Yuuri’s place at the top of that list was easy displaced, replaced by Chris’s strong arms, deep voice, and warm honesty. If Phichit hadn’t come to terms with his feelings for Chris back in Hasetsu, the night wrapped together on the couch in Canada would have driven the point directly home.

Chris had fallen asleep first, succumbing to the gentle caress of Phichit’s fingers against his scalp. Through sleepy eyes, Phichit had watched the lines relax out of Chris’s face, his jaw going slack and the line between his brows finally disappearing. Mesmerized by Chris’s irresistible beauty, Phichit traced patterns over Chris’s cheekbones, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss on Chris’s lips. It did nothing to quell the familiar ache in Phichit’s heart, but he let himself rest on Chris’s chest, ear pressed where Phichit could listen to Chris’s gentle heartbeat.

With Chris competing one more year, Phichit felt an unprecedented certainty that they would get their time. Barcelona had been too soon, as had Hasetsu, and maybe Phichit had been foolish to think two nights in Canada would be their moment. All the moments of this trip belonged to Isabella and JJ and Phichit could accept that.

Their time would come and until then, Phichit would continue to love and support Chris as he took the ice for one last season of competition. Letting himself drift to sleep, Phichit heaved a bittersweet sigh and closed his eyes.

* * *

 

The sound of birds chirping broke through Chris’s dreams bringing him slowly toward consciousness. His body was overheated, a product of sleeping with the living human heater that was Phichit, but he felt relaxed and sloth-like as he moseyed toward wakefulness.

Running his hand through Phichit’s hair, Chris recalled their talk from the night before, his heart beating peacefully as he committed every minute to memory. He knew he had fallen asleep first and was pleasantly surprised to find Phichit still draped over him. Watching the gentle rise and fall of Phichit’s back, Chris contemplated what it would be like to wake Phichit with a real kiss, one that ignored morning breath and their lack of privacy.

Touching his fingers to his lip, Chris felt a phantom tingling sensation. In his dreams Phichit had kissed him, softly and without desperation, and Chris could almost feel the weight of Phichit’s lips on his own. He longed to shift a few inches lower and feel the real thing for himself, but the opportunity vanished when commotion broke out at the bottom of the stairs. Craning his neck to look over the couch, Chris spied Leo and Guang Hong sleepily stumbling down the stairs, arms draped around one another as they tumbled toward the kitchen like sleep-deprived zombies.

Laying back down, Chris startled when he noticed Phichit staring up at him. “Good morning,” Chris ran his fingertips up Phichit’s spine, memorizing the dips and valleys of each grove. “How did you sleep?”

“Always better when I’m with you,” Phichit responded, honesty pouring from him with his inhibitions lowered in his half-awake state. All he wanted to do was wrap his arms around Chris and stay tangled together forever.

“That sounds wonderful,” Chris chuckled, licking his lips when the fire on Phichit’s cheeks burned in the place where they were still flush with Chris’s chest, his cuddle buddy clearly unaware that he had voiced his desires out loud. “But we have flights to catch.” The thought of leaving Phichit again soured Chris’s stomach and he shifted to pull Phichit higher, encouraging him to nuzzle into Chris’s neck. Emotions rose inside of Chris as Phichit trailed his nose across the sensitive skin beneath Chris’s ear. Intimately aware of how tightly their bodies were interwoven, Chris willed himself not to become excited.

“I don’t want to go home,” Phichit pouted, hand trailing up Chris’s side and sliding underneath his shoulder blade. “Who cares about summer training anyway? I will just go home with you. I’m compact, I can fit in your suitcase.” Loving the feeling of Chris’s laughter, Phichit angled his body to press his fingertips into Chris’s side.

“Phichit…” Chris warned, squirming underneath Phichit in an attempt to escape Phichit’s fingers of tickling doom. He found himself falling toward the floor, flailing his hands and dragging Phichit down with him. They landed with a thump and immediately began to laugh.

In a few hours they would go their separate ways so Chris took the opportunity to pull Phichit into a hug, the cheap carpet scraping his back but the warmth of Phichit’s skin outweighing that discomfort. “Will you call me?” Chris asked, whispering into Phichit’s shoulder and sounding more vulnerable than he preferred to be.

“As long as you call me.” Placing a feather-light kiss on Chris’s neck, Phichit closed his eyes and stretched over Chris’s body.

Silently they both wished for courage, failing to bolster the necessary bravery needed to turn towards each other and finally find what they needed. Instead, they laid sprawled on the ground, holding onto each other until the rest of their friends had materialized from their rooms and the need to separate became undeniable.

At the airport they said their final goodbyes, both of them lingering a little longer than strictly possible. Boarding for their flights sounded over the loud speakers and Chris found himself crushed into Phichit’s embrace. Leaving felt awful, but Chris knew they both had places they needed to be. Tipping his head downward, Chris skimmed a light kiss over the corner of Phichit’s mouth. “Until next time,” he whispered, kissing the other side and then pulling back. If he kissed Phichit for real, there was a good chance that Chris would never stop and he knew that their obligations were unstoppable. Stepping away from Phichit, Chris walked backwards a few steps, keeping their eyes locked until he had to make the turn for his gate.

Standing alone in the middle of the airport, Phichit couldn’t wait for the next season to begin.


	4. Finally Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their chance. Finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking place in a hotel at their first shared competition of the season <3

“Chris, Chris, Chris, CHRIS!” 

Chuckling, Chris carefully caught the door of the elevator, pushing it open to allow a flushed Phichit to slip inside. His bag was digging into the muscle of his left shoulder and his costume bag was heavy over his arm, but Phichit’s smile was bright and his body was warm where Phichit had leaned against Chris’s side. Unable to resist the easy affection, Chris let his free arm drop over Phichit’s shoulders. “Where are you headed in such a rush?” He dared a glance down at Phichit, trying to ignore the flutter in his heart as Phichit’s arm circled around his back. 

This was the casual affection Chris had been yearning for, missing the feeling of someone leaning into his hold and burning warmth into his side. In the back of Chris’s mind he acknowledged that it wasn’t a generic someone he was missing, it was a specific someone. Namely, Thailand’s hero and the man who hung all the stars in Chris’s sky. Squeezing Phichit’s shoulders, Chris rested his back on the wall of the elevator. 

“Actually, I was trying to catch you,” Phichit leaned into Chris, stealing the garment bag from Chris’s arm and clutching it to his own chest. “Everyone else got here hours ago, it seems we are the only stragglers and I thought maybe you would want to waste your evening with me.” 

Thinking back to the airport and the plane ride, where he had been caught by fans no less than fifteen times for autographs and pictures, he could feel the need for solitude still clinging to his skin. Chris had dreamed of a hot bath, lazy room service, and going to sleep early, but feeling the nervous shuffle of Phichit against his side, he decided that a little company wouldn’t hurt. Taking a chance, he dropped a light kiss to Phichit’s head as the elevator doors slid open. “Are you willing to waste a night hanging in a hotel room with an old geezer like me?” He laughed when Phichit poked his side. 

“A night in with you sounds perfect,” Phichit admitted, stepping out of Chris’s space so he could open the hotel room door. “As long as we can order room service. This hotel has great dessert.” Following Chris into the room, Phichit opened the closet to hang the garment bag. Without being asked, he pulled the zipper down, carefully removing each hanger and spacing them out across the hanging bar. 

“Room service is a must,” Chris responded, eyes watching as Phichit hung his clothes. It was such a simple domestic task, but Chris felt a sense of warmth and caring wash over him. Even when he had traveled with Masumi to competitions, he had always handled his own belongings, often also taking care of Masumi’s things as well. Having someone else hang his costumes and suit, even though the task itself was simple, made his heart irrationally ecstatic. Trying to pull himself together, Chris made quick work of unpacking the rest of his belongings and tossing his travel bag to the side. 

“Food and how about a cheesy movie?” Phichit asked, kicking his shoes off next to the bed, grabbing the remote and the menu as he sprawled across it. “Should we be good tonight?” 

The flush on Chris’s cheeks betrayed the inappropriate way he took Phichit’s question, his brain reprimanding him for not immediately realizing that Phichit was talking about food. Taking a deep breath, he dropped his jacket and shoes over the closest chair and crawled onto the bed to flop next to Phichit. “How about we cheat a bit? What looks good to you?” He missed Phichit’s glance in his direction, focused on reading the menu through tired eyes. “I think I’ll try the steak. And something chocolate for dessert.” Finally turning his head toward Phichit, Chris tried to temper the rush of attraction when he realized how small the distance was between their faces. 

Studying Chris quietly, Phichit smiled, slowly returning his attention to the menu. “I’m going to get this seafood thing, and this cookie dessert,” he pointed to each item in turn, “then maybe we can share.” Rolling to his side, Phichit reached for the phone, pausing with his hand halfway there. Twisting back to face Chris over his shoulder, Phichit’s smile turned shy. “Thanks for hanging with me tonight, I’m sure there are better things you could do with your time.” He knew it sounded insecure, but Phichit couldn’t help needing the reassurance. It was the first time they found themselves competing in the same city since the season started and Phichit needed to know that they hadn’t strayed from all the feelings that were building between them. 

Reaching a hand up, Chris lightly pinched Phichit’s cheek. “You’re worth every second of my time, Phichit.” Feeling his heart flip again when Phichit’s face flushed, Chris tried to tell himself to breathe. Phichit had come to him for casual hang out time and Chris needed to put his libido in check. Idly plucking the remote from the bed, he listened to Phichit order their dinner as he began to flip through channels to find the promised cheesy movie. Solitude had sounded ideal when Chris had stepped off the plane, yet he couldn’t deny the way Phichit’s easy existence was already fighting off all of Chris’s fatigue. 

When Phichit returned to settle his cheek on Chris’s shoulder, sighing as Chris slipped an arm around his waist to tug him closer, Chris decided there was absolutely nowhere else he would rather be. 

* * *

The air wasn’t cold, although it nipped against Phichit’s skin as he followed Chris onto the balcony, spying the pool at the end of the walkway. Neither of them had morning practice the next day, both of them scheduled for afternoon open practice ahead of the evening’s competitions. Somewhere between feeding each other bites of dessert and the bottom of their shared bottle of wine, Phichit had begun to joke about skinny dipping. He hadn’t expected for his idea to be taken seriously and his heart drummed nervously in his chest as their feet made echoing noises on the patterned tiles. 

He had changed in the bathroom of Chris’s room, borrowing one of the two bathrobes folded neatly on the hanging shelves. Nervously, he had dragged the second one down, giggling when he returned to the room to discover Chris wearing his own. Phichit had to restrain his mind from wondering why Chris traveled with a green silk robe in his luggage, nearly swallowing his tongue as Chris had unfolded his legs and moved across the room. The quick flash of skin and the smooth glide of silk over Chris’s perfect butt, left Phichit feeling dizzy with attraction. Swallowing hard, he had taken the hand Chris had offered him, following him out of the room and back towards the elevator. 

A splash brought Phichit’s mind back to the present, eyes wide as he watched Chris’s broad shoulders break the surface of the water. Phichit was never shy about his own body, but when Chris’s dazzling green eyes landed on him, his hands stuttered around his cloth belt. Clearing his throat as Chris swam towards him, Phichit glanced around as if there would be other people crazy enough to swim outside in the middle of an early fall’s night. Stalling, Phichit moved toward the nearest lounge chair, untying his robe with his back to Chris. “Um… are you sure we should be doing this?” he asked, trying to sound more concerned for their safety than nervous about his own nudity. 

“I’m merely following along with your suggestion,” Chris chuckled and Phichit could hear the water lapping against the side of the pool as Chris moved through it. “But, you don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.” 

_ That. _ The way Chris was always quietly accepting of everyone’s limits. He was always so easy to be with, because Chris never expected anything from anyone. He didn’t pressure anyone to go along with ideas, but happily went along with whatever craziness was proposed. Phichit had learned, during one of their many walks around Hasetsu, that it had been Yuuri who had pulled Chris toward the pole in Sochi. 

Chris had never shied away from a challenge and still found it incredibly entertaining that Yuuri didn’t remember a moment of it. He never taunted Yuuri about it, stopping any mention of that night once the truth had come out. Phichit had admired that part of Chris, along with all of the other parts that made Chris one of the best people he knew. Steeling himself with false courage, Phichit dropped his robe, running straight for the edge of the pool and plunging into the water. 

He resurfaced, shaking the water from his hair and brushing his hands over his face. “It’s warm!” Phichit exclaimed, splashing lightly to his sides as Chris swam toward him. “I don’t know why I thought it would be cold.” He spun in a slow circle, eyes never leaving Chris as he swam around Phichit. 

“Was it the temperature of the water making you nervous?” Chris asked, a single raised eyebrow punctuating his question with the edge of flirtation. 

They had been towing the line for most of the night, but Phichit could feel himself dangerously tipping toward the side of immediately wanting something more. Time had not necessarily been on their side, but Phichit could see nothing but time stretching out before them now. 

“That,” Phichit sank further into the water, sliding himself into Chris’s circular path, “and perhaps the astoundingly attractive and very naked man in front of me.” He felt a hint of victory as Chris’s cheeks became a rosier pink. If everything Phichit knew about Chris was true, he knew that he would be the one making the first move. Letting the wave of the water carry him forward, Phichit let himself be guided closer to Chris. 

“Are you drunk?” Chris posed the question as he lifted a hand to gently run his fingers over Phichit’s cheek. The question wasn’t accusing or demanding, and Phichit heard the quiet plea underlying Chris’s words. From their talks, Phichit had gained a hypothesis about how many times Chris had been propositioned while drinking, his heart sinking again with the same consideration. Chris’s raw and confident sexuality seemed to make him appealing to those seeking a one night stand and Phichit felt a flash of anger sear through him at that thought. 

“I’m not drunk.” The declaration came out with a huffed pout, Phichit defensively shoving at Chris’s shoulder, instantly regretting it when Chris laughingly fell backwards under the water, twisting to begin swimming away. His skin suddenly felt cold without Chris’s warmth near him and Phichit moved to pursue Chris across the pool. 

With a smirk, Phichit snagged Chris’s ankle, struggling to pull him back as Chris jokingly tried to escape the hold. Finally winning (mostly due to Chris’s surrender), Phichit dragged him back into his personal space. “Chris,” Phichit tipped his head, fingers trailing up Chris’s chest to weave water droplets into Chris’s hair. “I really like you. I have for a long time. I think about Barcelona a lot, and Hasetsu… and Canada… and…” Phichit trailed off, lost in the softness of Chris’s eyes. 

“And?” Chris asked, his question breathless in a way that he had never heard himself speak. The way Phichit was looking at him, adoration and love openly gleaming in his eyes, had Chris feeling light-headed. 

“And…” Phichit set his gaze on Chris’s, “and I want to kiss you. And spend time with you. And eventually… you know…” Conveying his point with ill-advised hand motions, Phichit couldn’t help his laughter when Chris’s own deep laugh broke free. Shaking his head bashfully, Phichit shrugged, opening his mouth to apologize when he was stilled by Chris’s hand on his cheek. 

“Okay,” Chris whispered, leaning toward Phichit with a smile still on his lips. Lingering near Phichit’s mouth, Chris waited until Phichit closed the remaining distance between them. 

* * *

“Leo won the bet,” Guang Hong pouted, bracing himself on the barrier wall and poking Phichit with his finger. 

“Bet?” Phichit inquired, distracted by Chris stretching across the rink with his coach and Minako standing in front of him. Even in practice pants, Chris’s ass looked good enough to eat and Phichit couldn’t control the way his mind wandered back to the events of their previous night together. 

“Yeah,” Guang Hong quirked an eyebrow and poked Phichit in the neck. “He said that you two would get together at this competition. And I would say by the way you are currently drooling and the impressive purple hickey on your neck, that Leo has officially won this bet.” 

Slapping a hand over his neck, Phichit ducked his head. “Pay the man,” was all he could muster, refusing to look up as Guang Hong’s laughter faded away. A pinch to his backside had Phichit jumping, startling straight into Chris’s arms. 

“You alright?” Chris asked, not removing his hand from its place on Phichit’s ass. He had gained permission to touch the epitome of a perfect skater’s butt less than twenty four hours previously and Chris was not going to miss an opportunity to get his hand on it. 

“You better know some excellent concealer techniques,” Phichit growled, lifting his hand only slightly to show the top of his bruise to Chris. He rolled his eyes when Chris smugly smirked. “You are lucky I love you,” Phichit declared, slumping onto Chris’s chest. 

“Don’t I know it,” Chris replied, using his finger to tip Phichit’s chin up for a kiss. “Now let’s cover my handy work and we can settle our own bet on the ice.” Winking, Chris skated backwards, crooking a finger in Phichit’s direction. 

Knowing exactly what was on the line for their bet, Phichit found himself returning Chris’s smirk as he pushed off from the ice and hurriedly followed Chris to the locker room. 


	5. St. Petersburg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rick rolling!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking place in Yuuri's shared apartment with Victor, because no story is complete without best friend time :) 
> 
> [Please rick roll yourself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)
> 
> The song Chris sends Phichit (beware it is VERY NSFW): [Jizz in My Pants](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnWf1sQkjY)

“Victor! I have found the best song for my next year’s program!” Yuuri typed the text while Phichit sat next to him on the couch, both of them snickering. When Victor responded excitedly, obviously paying attention to his phone instead of his time in the studio with Lilia, Yuuri sent the link. Collapsing in a fit of giggles, spurred by too much wine and the inevitable silliness of couch time with his best friend, Yuuri laughed harder when Phichit slumped onto his side. “Ok, now you have to do it to Chris!” Yuuri sputtered, shoving Phichit off of him. 

“Do what?” Phichit wiggled his eyebrows and shoulders, making Yuuri snort. Pulling himself into a sitting position, still chuckling, Phichit grabbed his phone and then huffed in frustration. “Wait, how do I get him to click it? I think Chris might have heard of Rick rolling.” Scrunching his face in buzzed thought, biting at his bottom lip, Phichit tried to think of a way to fool his boyfriend. 

“Oh!” Yuuri shouted, sitting up so suddenly that Phichit jumped and raised his arms. Snorting again, Yuuri whacked at Phichit’s forearms, “Did you think I was attacking you?!” Reaching out to poke Phichit’s side, Yuuri felt the laughter bubble up again. Two bottles of wine were probably not the best idea, but Yuuri was going to let his tomorrow self worry about that. “Text him something super romantic, like really… really sappy, and tell him the song expresses everything you feel about him.” Leaning close to Phichit’s cheek, Yuuri looked around as if there was someone other than Makkachin listening to their antics. “Then… send him the link…” Both of them burst into fresh, ridiculous hysterics. 

Gathering himself, Phichit took a deep breath and looked at his phone with intense seriousness. “My dearest Christophe,” he wrote while reading the words out loud, “you are the sun and the moon, the center of my canoli, the best Swiss burger at the Burger Palace, I love you endlessly.” Pretending to swoon, Yuuri collapsed back on the couch again and Phichit paused to punch his best friend in the leg. “Only this song could express the true scope of my love!” He attached the link and then flopped back on the couch. 

Above his head on the side table, Yuuri’s phone rang. Accepting the Skype call from Victor, Yuuri was greeted with his fiance’s watery eyes and distinctly smitten pouty smile. “My Yuuri!” Victor cooed, “Are you dedicating your next season’s program to me? That song was lovely!” Wiping a tear from under his eyes, Victor continued to grin at Yuuri on the other side of the phone. 

Glancing at Phichit who was laughing again with his hands clamped tightly over his mouth, Yuuri mouthed “never tell him” as he kicked out at his best friend. 

“We will have to get you an outfit exactly like the one the singer is wearing in the video,” Victor piped up, finger tapping against his lips. “Can you skate with a wig, my love? It would feel more authentic with the proper hair. Although, with enough hair gel…” 

Shaking his head, Yuuri eyed Victor closely. “You know don’t you?” He saw the playful twitch to the corner of Victor’s mouth and fell obviously more in love with his favorite person. 

“I’m friends with Chris, of course I know what Rick rolling is,” Victor finally let his chuckle slip. “Tell Phichit if he starts that war, it is one that he will never win.” 

“Too late,” Yuuri found himself dissolving back into laughter as Phichit’s eyes went wide. “See you soon?” Yuuri smiled and waved as Victor confirmed he was heading home. Dropping his phone into his lap, Yuuri turned to face a doomed Phichit. 

“We love the best men ever, right?” Phichit commented, anxiously staring at his phone waiting for Chris’s response.

“Yup,” Yuuri nodded, dropping his head back onto the sofa. “And even better they love us right back.” 

They high-fived each other, relishing in how they both ended up with men who had once only been the stars of posters hanging in their individual rooms. Their joint happiness lasted only five minutes before Phichit’s phone dinged and they both looked at it with weary glances. Unlocking the screen, Phichit read Chris’s message out loud. 

“My one and only, Phichit, heart to my soul, cheese to my fries, King to my Skater… ohhh that’s a good one,” Phichit interrupted his own reading of Chris’s message, “I should have thought of that one!” He giggled when Yuuri waved a hand for him to keep going. “There are so many ways in which I could express my love and the way you make me feel, but none better than this song. I shall see you tomorrow, my darling.” Thumb held above the link, Phichit looked at Yuuri with wide eyes. “Do I dare?” 

“You always dare,” Yuuri answered seriously, reaching forward himself to click the link. 

As the sounds of Lonely Island’s Jizz in my pants filled Yuuri’s apartment along with their hysterical laughter, Phichit knew that Victor was right – this was definitely a game he was never going to win. 


	6. Switzerland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I think I love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phichit visits Chris in Switzerland to spend some very needed time together for Christmas <3

One day. For one day Phichit had been hanging at Chris’s apartment being given the royal treatment by his fabulous boyfriend. They didn’t have a lot of time to spare between practicing and preparing for nationals, but Phichit had happily accepted Chris’s offer to visit for Christmas. They would have thirteen days together ahead of the holiday and four after it, and Phichit had a list of plans for each of them. Starting with treating his boyfriend to a fabulous home cooked meal.

Phichit had never had a romantic holiday with anyone, but he had spent lots of time playing with the idea when he lived with Yuuri. They had come up with grandiose ideas of skating on frozen lakes, and renting cabins in the woods, and decorating Christmas trees while wearing matching pajamas. Yuuri had always imagined Victor as part of his fantasy, while Phichit had always envisioned a certain curly-haired Swiss skater. As many posters as Yuuri had of Victor, Phichit had an equal number of Chris, and both of them had happily supported each other’s hopes for love. Currently, Yuuri and Victor were celebrating their first holidays as a married couple (their elopement causing a big uproar in the media) and Phichit was standing in the kitchen of his ultimate crush. Smiling, Phichit pinched the rim of his pie crust as he snuck a glance at the clock above the counter.

Chris had one last day of solo practice before Phichit would be joining him at the rink. It stunk that they would have to lose time to actual training, but Phichit couldn’t argue how excited he was to watch Chris practice in his home rink. He had seen videos of Chris, concentrated and developing routines almost as if they were flowing out of him directly from his heart. Even his sexiest programs had detailed care put into them and Phichit admired that effort more than he could describe.

He chuckled to himself as he carefully added the filling to his pie. For so long Chris had seemed like an untouchable force, a skater so far beyond Phichit’s abilities that they would never be considered equals. Chris was sexy, Phichit was adorable. Phichit took selfies, while Chris posted pictures of his cat and famous paintings. He had argued with Yuuri that it was far less likely that Phichit would ever catch Chris’s eye than Yuuri catching Victor’s, and Phichit had been happily chanting his _I told you so’s_ right up until last year’s GPF banquet. Chris had asked him to dance, Phichit had fallen into Chris’s arms, and the rest was history.

A history full of beautiful and playful memories that made Phichit’s cheeks turn red as he slid the pie into the oven. Their dinner was in various pots on the stove, but the pie was a special treat. Chris’s mom had let it slip that it had always been one of Chris’s favorites and Phichit couldn’t resist the urge to spoil his boyfriend. It was no secret that Chris was constantly spoiling Phichit and he figured he would take any opportunity to return the favor.

The sound of the key in the lock made Phichit bounce with excitement. He didn’t resist the urge to meet Chris with a hug as soon as the door was opened, burying his face into Chris’s neck and smelling the scent of Chris’s soap. Smiling harder when Chris’s arms came around him, Phichit pulled his head back to look at his boyfriend. “You showered at the rink?” He was a little surprised as Chris had a spectacular bathroom and the rink was only minutes from Chris’s apartment.

Smirking, Chris leaned in for a kiss before he answered. “I wanted to be prepared. I left you alone in my apartment all afternoon. I didn’t know what you might have up your sleeve.” Trailing kisses down Phichit’s jaw, Chris nuzzled at Phichit’s neck making Phichit laugh as the stubble tickled him. “You are wearing far more clothes than I expected.” Chris whispered against his ear, making Phichit shiver in delight.

“I made dinner though!” Phichit nudged Chris’s cheek with his nose to encourage Chris to look at him. “In my experience, cooking naked is dangerous and not all that fun when you’re alone.” Mocking Chris’s raised eyebrows, Phichit giggled and stepped out of his boyfriend’s embrace. “Sit down and let me serve you!” Tugging Chris’s hand, Phichit paused to strip Chris out of his coat, tossing it across the back of the couch before pulling Chris into the dining room. Pushing him into a chair, Phichit bent down for a quick kiss and said “wait here” against Chris’s lips.

Chris had never shared his space with anyone, but there was a sense of perfection floating around his heart as he leaned back to watch Phichit flutter through his kitchen. He never allowed himself to consider how amazing it would be to have someone to share simple moments with, like eating meals and brushing their teeth. There was a beauty to the way Phichit had fit into his life, leaving Chris feeling lucky that they were having this chance to be together. It would hurt when Phichit left, but Chris refused to think about that as the beautiful embodiment of sunshine waltzed back into the room.

His stomach growled audibly at the aroma coming from his plate. Noodles, chicken and vegetables were stacked in an artistic mountain and the smell was making Chris’s mouth water. If he had been alone dinner would have been one of the pre-prepped meals still stacked in his fridge. It would certainly not have been the colorful masterpiece brightening the plain white plate in front of him. “Phichit, this looks amazing,” Chris leaned closer to breathe in the heavenly scent as he sunk his fork into his first bite. He hummed as the flavors blossomed in his mouth and gave Phichit a smiling thumbs up.

Pride was vibrating through Phichit as he watched Chris savoring his food. He would have to call his mom later and let her know that her cooking advice via Skype had led to one very happy Christophe Giacometti. Phichit could already imagine how thrilled his mom would be and couldn’t help grinning as he took his first bite.

Forcing himself to slow down, Chris wiped his mouth and took a sip of wine. He knew that neither of them should be drinking, but he didn’t care. They were together and that would be cause for any type of celebration they wanted. Picking his fork back up, Chris leaned back in his chair to look into the kitchen again. “Is there more of this? I worked hard today, I claim my right to seconds.” Wiggling his eyebrows, Chris took another bite, smiling at Phichit as he chewed.

“There’s more,” Phichit said, trying to keep himself from gloating over his success, “but I wouldn’t fill up on it. I have something special for dessert.” His cheeks burst into a blush as Chris raised a single eyebrow at him with a quick wink as Chris squeezed Phichit’s thigh under the table. Giggling, Phichit shook his head. “Maybe that too,” he slipped his hand over Chris’s and squeezed, squeaking when Chris ran their joined hands up Phichit’s inner thigh. “Hey!” Phichit pretended to scold, squeezing Chris’s hand again and laughing when Chris pretended to pout. “I made pecan pie for dessert, your mom gave me the recipe,” he said with another laugh, reaching out for his wine glass and watching Chris intently.

“I think I love you,” Chris said, eyes sparkling with the sweetness of the gesture as he reached over the table to kiss Phichit on the cheek. No one had ever cared for him the way Phichit did, and he felt his heart flutter with all the expectations for the next few days.

_I think I love you too_ , Phichit thought, unable to stop himself from staring as Chris settled back into his dinner. He didn’t think Chris would say something so lightly, but his mind told him to hold back his own declaration. Maybe, just maybe, before he left to return to Thailand, he would be able to tell Chris all of the things he had been feeling over the past few months.

For now though, Phichit was simply happy to enjoy a meal with his boyfriend, with all the possibilities of the next two weeks stretched out in front of them.


	7. At Practice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selfies and Giggles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In direct timeline with Chapter 6, Phichit and Chris rush to their first day of practice in Switzerland.

Everything about their morning had been rushed. They had stayed up way too late indulging in the feeling of being together and slept through their alarms in the morning. Chris’s apartment was filled with the mournful soundtrack of their groans as they tried to rush themselves into practice clothes despite the aches in their bodies from sleeping on the floor in front of the fireplace. Their promises to move to the bed had been broken in the heat of their kisses and comforting warmth of each other’s arms.

With morning protein shakes in hand, they raced together toward Chris’s rink, sporting matching grins as they flew through the doors with exactly two minutes to spare. Their grins only spread wider as Chris’s coach yelled for “the lovebirds to hit the ice.” With a wink, Chris led Phichit to the locker room to change into their skates.

“We need a selfie before we get all sweaty!” Phichit pulled Chris to his side, adjusting the camera angle.

Waiting until Phichit’s thumb was flexing to snap the picture, Chris whispered, “I love when you are all sweaty,” bending down to press a kiss to Phichit’s neck. He laughed against Phichit’s skin as his boyfriend made an adorably startled noise. Shifting only to look at the picture, Chris laughed harder at the look on Phichit’s face. “Not appropriate for posting, for sure.” Chris continued to press little kisses to Phichit’s shoulder.

“We were on time and now you are going to make us late,” Phichit pouted, trying to scoot away from Chris and laughing as he was dragged back to Chris’s side. “I want one good picture, pleeaseeeee.” Turning his pout on Chris, Phichit batted his eyelashes innocently. “Tonight you can make me sweat all you want.” He snapped a picture of Chris’s surprised face, quickly saving it to the Chris folder on his phone. “Are you going to cooperate now?”

The tone of Phichit’s question was playful and had Chris laughing again, slinging an arm over Phichit’s shoulders to bring him closer. “Yes, my darling, let’s get that picture.” Chris leaned in, watching Phichit fiddle with the camera settings again.

“Watch the filter!” Phichit said happily, waiting until Chris made a little noise in reaction to the emoji mistletoe that was hanging in the frame. “Say cheese, sweetheart!” Phichit turned his face to press a kiss to Chris’s cheek, taking the picture at the same time.

Examining his success, Phichit declared, “This is definitely post worthy!” He laughed as Chris attempted to steal his phone, toppling backwards off the bench and trying to scramble away as Chris came after him.

They were a laughing mess of limbs when the door to the locker room banged open, revealing Chris’s amused looking coach. Next to him, Celestino stood with his arms crossed over his chest. “Let’s leave this kind of training for home, okay?” Celestino smirked as Phichit turned red, and Chris smiled back at him with shameless happiness. “Ice in five!” the coach’s called in unison as they left them alone again.

“Stop being distracting,” Chris whispered, kissing Phichit’s neck as his hand wandered up Phichit’s side. “If we don’t practice I can’t take you shopping later for Christmas sweaters and fuzzy socks.” He made a disappointed noise as Phichit jumped out of his grasp.

“You had me at shopping!” Phichit laughed, reaching down to drag Chris to his feet. “But later,” Phichit pressed close, sliding his hands up Chris’s chest to link his fingers behind Chris’s neck and drift his lips barely over Chris’s, “we can definitely explore that sweaty promise.” Dropping his arms, Phichit sauntered from the locker room, looking over his shoulder with a wink in Chris’s direction.

In all of his years of skating, Chris had never been looking forward to a practice as much as he was to practicing with Phichit by his side. Almost as much as he was looking forward to Phichit’s promises for later. 


	8. In Front of the Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warm me up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Phichit spend a quiet evening in front of Chris's fireplace. 
> 
> [The song Chris sings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf-9J5fooFE) (please listen and swoon over this thought with me!)

There was a mound of blankets and pillows spread around them on the floor as Phichit and Chris found themselves cuddled in front of Chris’s fireplace again. Phichit had his head resting on Chris’s stomach, one arm stretched back, tracing lazy circles over Chris’s rib cage while the other was busy picking at threads in the old woven blanket covering his legs. Chris’s fingers were running lines at the waistband of Phichit’s pajama pants, and Phichit was trying to deny how much he wanted Chris to dip underneath the elastic.

Dinner had been takeout, consumed next to each other on the couch as they both laughed at how tired they were after their first day of training together. Chris had been lovingly calling Phichit a blessed distraction since nine a.m. that morning, and Phichit hadn’t gotten over his instant blush to the nickname.

In turn, Phichit had stuck to traditional nicknames for Chris, sometimes even verging on cheesy with the intention of making Chris grin the genuine smile Phichit had grown so fond of. At the end of practice, Chris’s coach had told Phichit he was a good influence on his skater, and Chris had promptly choked on his water. “ _No way,”_ Chris had mouthed at Phichit with a wink, making Phichit giggle into his hand.

After the dinner containers had been tossed in the trash and they had changed into their pajamas, Chris had started dragging blankets from the top of his closet, declaring it a perfect night for another fire. Watching Chris carefully stroke the fire to a hypnotizing burn, Phichit had definitely agreed with the sentiment. When Chris pulled him down onto the pile of softness, smelling like firewood and lavender lotion, Phichit had immediately snuggled into him, relishing the feeling of being together. Mentally he had ticked down the second day of their time, but Phichit refused to let that thought break into his happiness. Chris was solid and warm beneath his head and he wasn’t going to derail the beauty of that by thinking about their limited days.

Chris’s stomach bounced as he began to hum _I see the light_ from Disney’s Tangled. When they had watched the movie during dinner, Chris had sang the song in French, nearly causing Phichit to pass out from his breathlessness. The gentle kiss pressed against his lips at the end of Chris’s song made Phichit’s heart stall in his chest.

Although it was currently beating a mile a minute as Chris began to gently trace Phichit’s belly button under his t-shirt.

“If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?” Chris’s voice had taken on a dreamy element, almost as if he was lulling himself to sleep by his movements over Phichit’s skin.

Phichit, however, was feeling the warm flow of arousal washing over him and took a second to process Chris’s question. Pulling his eyes from the view of Chris’s hand under his shirt, Phichit turned his head to gaze up at his boyfriend.

Chris looked like an angel, his long eyelashes resting against his cheeks, his eyes closed in sleepiness. A poke to Phichit’s stomach made him squeak, and Phichit stuck his tongue out at Chris when he opened one eye to smirk at Phichit. “Right now?” Phichit said, rotating onto his belly so he could run his fingertips over Chris’s cheek, “I wouldn’t go anywhere, I would stay right here forever.”

He was caught off-guard when Chris suddenly sat up toppling Phichit backwards and leaning over top of him for a kiss. There were always flutters whenever Chris kissed him and Phichit sighed into it, pouting slightly when Chris pulled back. “Actually…” Phichit started, smiling as Chris’s chuckle rumbled, “I have never been to any of the Disney Parks. Maybe I would like to go there, as long as you promise to sing to me.”

Chris laughed, shaking his head and moving to kiss Phichit again when suddenly he sat up, pulling Phichit with him. “Wait, you never went to Disney World or Land? Even when you were in the States? How can that be?”

It was impossible not to steal another kiss with how adorably alarmed Chris looked over this information. Scooting closer, Phichit stole his kiss, letting it linger before settling back with a smile and a shrug. “I was training and I was on scholarship so my grades had to be good. Fun wasn’t really a priority, you know?” The sadness flickered in Chris’s eyes and Phichit realized that Chris knew exactly what he was describing. Striving to be the best came at a cost, one that Phichit was starting to wonder if it was worth paying. He was relieved to see the sadness dissipate as Chris tackled him back onto the blankets.

“I’m going to take you someday. You and me, matching shirts and Mickey ears, dancing in front of the castle and making magic of our own. You’ll love it, I promise.” Bringing his lips down to meet Phichit’s, Chris sealed his promise with a kiss.

It was a beautiful idea, but Phichit knew that he didn’t need international travel to find a fairy tale, he had all the makings of one right there in Chris’s apartment on a pile of blankets in front of a flickering fire.


	9. Disney World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our Happy New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there anything more romantic than a proposal in Disney World? Me thinks not ;) 
> 
>  
> 
> If you liked this story, please let me know!! Thank you!!

The chair beneath him was cool against his skin as Phichit leaned back and smiled at the people sitting around him. Their little area was separated from the rest of the crowd, tables and chairs made up of groups in twos and fours, with other excited Disney guests waiting for the fireworks to begin. A little girl waved shyly at Phichit as his gaze crossed her table, and he waved back with one index finger, smiling wider when she giggled and ducked against her mother.

Excitement was contagious in this place. From the moment he had walked through the gates that morning, Chris humming along with the good morning song being played through all of the speakers, Phichit could feel it bubbling inside of him. Happiness existed here in a way that had Phichit squealing like a child with every new sight.

Their trip had been Chris’s idea. Phichit had missed the opportunity to go to Disney World when he lived in Detroit, his concentration on achieving high grades and gold medals causing him to regrettably skip some of the best parts about living in the States. When he had mentioned this, a casual statement after watching Tangled on Chris’s couch, his boyfriend had reacted with pure shock. _You would love it_ , Chris had said. _We have to go_ , he had continued.

Phichit humored Chris every time he spoke of the future trip, assuming that like so many other things, it would only be a dream until they both retired and had more time on their hands. He never expected for Chris to show up on his doorstep four days before Valentine’s Day with a suitcase and two plane tickets to the happiest place on earth.

Sighing, Phichit laced his fingers together and pressed them between his thighs. The butterflies were dancing in his stomach, following the beat of the music which was guiding the changing colors across Cinderella’s castle. His heart felt ready to burst and tears prickled the edges of his eyelids as he let his joy continue to bubble inside of him.

Every part of their first day in the Magic Kingdom had been perfect. Chris had gotten him a pin that told everyone it was Phichit’s first visit, and all of the employees had been quick to welcome him with bright smiles and warm hugs. They had taken an absurd amount of selfies, and hugged as many characters as they could find, including Peter Pan who had flirted with Phichit and Gaston who had spectacularly failed Chris’s bench press challenge. (Chris won by bench pressing Phichit while lying on the ground. Phichit planned to cherish the video forever.) He had eaten food from carts and Chris had surprised him with dinner inside of Cinderella’s castle, complete with the souvenir mugs currently sitting in the middle of their tiny table.

Although they had already eaten dessert, Phichit grinned at the waiter who brought out a plate of petit fours and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Reaching out to grip the mug, another souvenir according to the waiter, Phichit whispered his thank you as he blew off the steam. Florida was chillier in February than Phichit would have guessed and he snuggled back into his chair, warmed by the cocoa and the Mickey Mouse hoodie Chris had bought for him.

“Mon cheri,” Chris said, bending down to kiss Phichit’s cheek as he slipped into his chair. “Did you miss me?” Winking across the table, Chris placed a round object on the table as he reached for his own hot chocolate.

“Yes,” Phichit pretended to pout, leaning forward to rest his mug on the table and then over the table to steal a kiss from Chris’s lips. “Long bathroom line?” His eyes flicked to the thing Chris had placed on the table, the silver back of a Disney button catching his eye when it reflected the lights of the castle.

“Something like that,” Chris chuckled, catching Phichit by the chin and chasing another kiss. “Ready for the fireworks?” He dropped his hand, wrapping it back around his mug and twisted to look over the railing toward the glowing castle.

“Oh my gawd, yes,” Phichit whined, legs bouncing as the excitement crashed over him in another wave. “I have heard so much about this, I can’t wait to see it in person.” The music changed and Phichit squeaked, clapping his hands before seizing the arms of his chair to scoot closer to Chris. Every part of him was quivering with excitement as the castle lit up, a fairy tale unfolding in front of Phichit’s eyes.

Chris couldn’t watch the show. Phichit’s eyes were watering as Mickey began his battle, and his little squawks and squeaks every time a villain appeared had Chris feeling even more in love than he had when Phichit had asked Tiana to dance or when Phichit had hid against his side in the Haunted Mansion. The first day of this trip had been everything Chris had wanted it to be; a chance to be together without the pressure of skating or time limits, a chance to spoil Phichit by never saying no to a single request, and hopefully a chance to cement the future of their relationship.

While Phichit was distracted, Chris carefully dropped the hand that Phichit wasn’t gripping into his backpack. It had been a challenge to keep the small velvet box hidden for the entire day, and an even bigger challenge not to propose to Phichit every single time he smiled. Chris had managed to stop himself from proposing when Phichit was exchanging puns with the guide to the Jungle Cruise, and he had barely restrained himself from popping the question when Phichit had asked a tiny princess to dance when she had recognized him in front of Ariel’s Grotto. This man was the most wonderful human Chris had ever known, and the only thought singing in his head as the fireworks began to erupt was that Phichit would be the only person he would want to spend the rest of his life with. Taking a deep breath, Chris wrapped his fingers around the velvet box and prepared to ask the most important question of his life.

Phichit felt Chris’s hand slip from his but he couldn’t pull his eyes away from the rainbow of fireworks illuminating the castle. Tinker Bell’s flight had taken his breath away and his head was spinning with the bursts of color. He almost missed Chris saying his name, only hearing him when he felt a tug on the sleeve of his hoodie. Dropping his gaze to Chris’s chair, he sat up alarmed when he realized his boyfriend was missing.

“Phichit,” Chris smiled from his place on the ground. The cement was uncomfortable under his knee, but if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right. As Phichit slowly twisted to face him, Chris felt his emotions catch in his throat as they both began to cry.

“Chris…?” Phichit’s first thought was that maybe Chris needed help up, but then he noticed the single knee bent underneath Chris and the extended hand holding a tiny box. Losing all of his words, Phichit slapped one hand over his mouth and one hand over his heart. Quivering for an entirely different reason, Phichit felt the tears begin to run down his face.

“I love you,” Chris raised his voice so he could be heard over the loud booms painting the sky with colorful bursts, “I love you for being silly, and spontaneous, and talented, and caring. I love you for being the best person who has ever been a part of my life. I love you for loving my cat and I love you for always supporting me. Phichit, if you love me as much as I love you, would you marry me?”

Somewhere in the middle of Phichit’s squealing and his leap from his chair, Chris began to cry in earnest. As Phichit kissed him, punctuating every kiss with an excited shout of yes, the people around them began to applaud. Arms wrapped around each other, they spent the last few minutes of their time under the fireworks whispering love against each other’s lips, tears running together on their cheeks. Phichit had said yes, Phichit was going to marry him, and Chris’s world suddenly felt perfect.

By the time they finally stood up, laughing at the happy smiles beaming in their direction from every member of the wait staff, Phichit had almost forgotten about the pin on the table. When he spied it again, he pointed at it with a raised eyebrow in Chris’s direction.

Grinning, Chris slid the pin from the table and attached it to the front of Phichit’s shirt. “I think you’ll need this now.” Leaning forward to kiss Phichit, Chris blushed when Phichit lifted the button to read the front.

_I got engaged in Disney World_ was proudly stamped on Phichit’s button and he felt the tears beginning to fall again. Wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around Chris’s shoulders and hugged his fiancé with all the strength he had. “I love you,” Phichit whispered against Chris’s ear, closing his eyes and letting his heart swell with all the promises for the future.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this story, please consider checking out my other works which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdlife4eva) including the following works: 
> 
> Of Knots and Sunshine A Tangled Phichimetti AU - complete
> 
> [Be my chef, Yuuri](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10102205/chapters/22504352) Restaurant AU – complete  
> [Katsuki’s Pet Needs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11403003/chapters/25540758) Pet Store AU - complete  
> [Law Firm of Katsuki, Nikiforov & Chulanont](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11084109/chapters/24724854) Law Firm AU – WIP  
> [Prize Fight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161275/chapters/32640531) MMA AU - complete  
> [Love and Puns](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13921047) Chemistry Partner AU – complete  
> [Stick with Me series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1085361) College Jock Yuuri and Genius Victor AU - complete  
> [Crash Into Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12527876/chapters/28528088) Alternate Meeting (still ice skaters) AU - complete  
> [Finding Our Way](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15437370) Soulmate AU - complete
> 
> As always, please feel free to come find me on Twitter or Tumblr!!   
> [NeRdLife4Eva Twitter](https://twitter.com/NeRdLife4Eva)  
> [n3rdlif343va Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/n3rdlif343va)


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